Gillingham (0) 0
Wycombe Wanderers (1) 2 Ainsworth 23, Betsy 49
Att. 4,076
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 46/4,843
Match Report
This was a real shocker that will have Gillingham fans looking over their shoulder, not just at a league table that sees them just two points from the relegation positions, but also the potential of a hugely embarrassing FA Cup defeat at home to the club that Andy Hessenthaler walked away from in June, Dover Athletic.Wycombe Wanderers came to Priestfield in good form, whilst Gillingham’s confidence was fragile to say the least. Once the visitors had sliced the Gillingham defence apart on 23 minutes allowing Gareth Ainsworth to open the scoring, there was only going to be one winner in the contest and Wycombe went on to thoroughly outplay their hosts.
Ainsworth is now 37 years of age, he has plied his trade for the best part of 20 years outside of the top flight and had a spell as caretaker manager of Queens Park Rangers on two occasions in the last couple of years. Last night, he looked like a 17 year old as he pissed past John Nutter time and time again. It was satisfyingly respectful that on his substitution with seconds remaining he was warmly applauded from the field by the home support as well as the small knot of Wycombe fans.
The defeat tumbles Gillingham to 20th position in League Two, their lowest for 15 years. Any confidence that remained ebbed away with the opening goal and the level of ineptitude was quite frightening. Only Alan Julian, who kept the score down to two; Cody McDonald, and to a lesser extent, Jack Payne can hold up their heads with any pride in a 6 out of 10 sort of way.
Wycombe shredded Gillingham’s back line as they exposed the hapless Nutter and Barry Fuller on both flanks, with no protection coming from a woeful midfield. Danny Spiller should have seen red for an ugly lunge and Dennis Oli looked to be running through treacle from the early stages. In attack, McDonald might have had a productive evening if only he had a modicum of help. The lumbering Akinfenwa is doing nothing to dispel the ever-growing feeling that he is just an overweight misfit for which the club is paying far too much money.
The optimism that greeted Andy Hessenthaler’s appointment has now disappeared and has been replaced by anger as graffiti daubed on a neighbouring fence implored him and Chairman Scally to go. The club has seen too many managers already since relegation from the Championship in 2005 and the subsequent steady decline to this new low. Now is not the time for a knee jerk reaction, we are only in November and just 15 games into the season, but the poor form has to be reversed quickly. Scally stood by Mark Stimson after the dreadful performance in February against Tranmere, form didn’t improve and Gillingham were ultimately relegated. A similar scenario this season would see the trap door opening and nobody at the club should be thinking that it cannot happen, just ask the fans of Wrexham and Cambridge United who have been stuck in non-league for several years, or previous League Cup winners, Luton and Oxford, who have only just made it back.Injuries have not allowed Hessen thaler to pick a side of his choice at any time this season. Central defence has been a real problem and Simon King and Garry Richards have not been available at all, both are nearing the end of long absences and will surely strengthen this weak spot. Danny Jackman has similarly seen little action and his return would put real pressure on Nutter. Centre midfield can only improve with the return of Curtis Weston and the pace of Andy Barcham has been desperately missed. The biggest squad in the Division should have been good enough to cover these absences, sadly the back-up has not been up to the task.
Such was the desperate nature of the performance against Wycombe that a 16-year-old, Ashley Miller, was thrown into the action with 20 minutes remaining. It was a far from ideal introduction, team playing poorly, crowd on their back and a game that was virtually lost. The youngster made a couple of good runs with the ball that lifted the crowd momentarily. As ever with Gillingham, conspiracy theories abound, Miller being introduced into first team action to lift his price as Liverpool are reported to be about to sign the lad.The players cannot really be accused of not trying for Hessenthaler but there is a complete lack of confidence that manifests itself into bad decision making, a desperation that leads to long, high upfield punts that are not the service that it required by the strikers. McDonald is not tall, he needs the ball played to feet, Akinfenwa cannot get that massive frame off the ground, so he needs it to feet as well. There are brief glimpses of what this set of players can achieve, for example those magic 15 minutes at Northampton, when the ball sees the grass and players exercise a bit of movement, but as quickly as the confidence appears to return it disappears.
All this is going to be music to the ears of the 2,500 Dover fans that will pack out the Brian Moore Stand on Saturday, bent on retribution for the perceived betrayal of the man that lifted their club two divisions during his tenure. For Hessenthaler, a win is more important than FA Cup progress alone, quality can wait for another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment